Wednesday, May 31, 2006

BOBBI MARCHINI, WHERE ARE YOU? SHE'S LIVING ON AN ISLAND IN GREECE. BOBBI IS A GREAT FEMALE SINGER WHO MIXED IT WITH OTHER GREAT FEMALE SINGERS OF THE SEVENTIES, INCLUDING JANICE SLATER, ALLISON McCALLUM, KERRY BIDDELL, SHARON SIMS, WENDY SADDINGTON, ETC ETC ETC . WHAT AN ERA!BOBBI WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR HER STINTS WITH SOUTHERN COMFORT AT THE CHEETAH ROOM, AND GRAPEVINE AND HUNGER, AT JONATHANS IN BROADWAY. I REMEMBER WE (FLAKE) AUDITIONED FOR THE GIG PRIOR TO THE OPENING, AND I THINK WE HAD THE JOB, BUT KNOCKED IT BACK WHEN WE WERE TOLD WE HAD TO WEAR A TUX! I THINK HE CHANGED HIS IDEAS ABOUT THAT.BUT ANYWAY, BOBBI WORKED WITH JOHN ENGLISH, STEVE WRIGHT, TERRY KAFF, AND THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED FABULOUS JANICE SLATER,& ALLISON McCALLUM. I HAD A CRUSH ON ALL OF THEM.(ONLY THE GIRLS) I'VE HAD SOME EMAIL FROM BOBBI, AND I FIND SHE HAS A WEB SITE, www.bobbimarchini.co.uk CHECK IT OUT, GREAT PICS, DISCOGRAPHY & MORE

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

GETTING AWAY FROM TRAWLING THROUGH THE PAST FOR A WHILE, RUDI FROM " the HEAD" HAS ASKED ME TO TRY TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOME MUSIC HE IS WORKING ON. THIS IS GREAT. THIS IS WHAT I ENJOY DOING."the HEAD " PRODUCE ELECTRONICA/JAZZ/UNDEFINED STUFF. YOU CAN FIND THEIR ALBUM ATwww.mp3.com au

SOURCES CLOSE TO WAYNE THOMAS REVEAL THE ARAB PHOTO WAS A PLOY TO DISTRACT US FROM HIS TRUE IDENTITY. I SHARE WITH YOU THE REAL WAYNE THOMAS. (ON LEFT) RECEIVING AN AWARD FOR CONVERSION TO THE JEWISH FAITH FROM ROB ASKEW .

HOW COME I GET CONTACTED BY SO MANY DRUMMERS AND BASS PLAYERS? THE MUSICIANS I KNOW I COULD COUNT ON ONE HAND. WAYNE , THE FORMER "FLAKE" DRUMMER,CALLED ME LAST NIGHT. I HAVEN'T SPOKEN TO, OR SEEN HIM FOR 35 YEARS. HE HAS BEEN GETTING ROB ASKEW (BASS) TO HELP HIM WRITE A REVISED HISTORY OF THE BAND. IT'S A FAIRLY COMPLICATED TASK TO GET THE CHRONOLOGICAL ORDER RIGHT, AFTER ALL, IT SEEMS MOST MUSICIANS IN OZ PLAYED IN THE GROUP AT SOMETIME.ROB AND HIS BROTHER, LINDSAY, WERE ALSO IN THE BAND. MARTIN ERDMAN, THE RECORD PRODUCER, IS RE-RELEASING THE FLAKE ALBUM THIS YEAR, AND IS GOING TO INCLUDE A 12 PAGE BOOK OUTLINING THE HISTORY OF THE GROUP. THE WRITING MUST BE VERY SMALL! I HAVE ASKED WAYNE TO SEND ME SOME PICS FROM THE TIME AND I WILL INCLUDE THEM IN MUSINGS AT A LATER DATE. I HAVE NO PICS FROM THAT TIME, WHICH IS A SHAME, BUT THIS APPARENTLY IS A RECENT PIC OF WAYNE.

Sunday, May 28, 2006

I MENTIONED IN AN EARLIER POST THAT I WENT TO SCHOOL WITH WARREN WARD. ONE MOMENT WE WERE INTERESTED IN STEAM TRAINS, AND BEFORE I KNEW IT, HE HAD LEARNT BASS AND WAS PLAYING IN THE FLYING CIRCUS. THEY WERE AUSTRALIA'S FIRST EVER TRIBUTE COVER BAND. THEY LOOKED LIKE "THE BYRDS", DID THEIR SONGS AND EVEN PLAYED THE SAME RICKENBACKER GUITARS. THIS IS NEVER MENTIONED WHEN THEY ARE TALKED ABOUT. HE ALSO PLAYED IN FLAKE, BLACKFEATHER, NUTWOOD RUG, I THINK? HIS YOUNGER BROTHER ROSS WARD, AND I MUCKED AROUND IN GARAGE BANDS. THESE DAYS, ROSS IS A FULL TIME MUSICIAN, A GREAT AUSSIE BLUES ARTIST. CHECK HIM OUT AT www.rossward.com.au

IT'S FUNNY WHAT YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU START WRITING THIS STUFF. I WAS DRIVING BEHIND A TRUCK THE OTHER DAY, ON THE BACK OF IT WAS AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR "HAIR".I REMEMBER THE SHOW CAME TO SYDNEY IN 1968? THE FIRST BAND TO PLAY IN THE SHOW WAS "TULLY". THEY WERE REPLACED AT SOME STAGE BY A GROUP MADE UP OF MAINLY FORMER MEMBERS OF "THE CASTAWAYS". THE BAND LEADER, LANCE DIXON,WAS GOING OUT WITH THE GIRL NEXT DOOR. HE USED TO HEAR OUR GARAGE BANDS. HE USED TO INVITE ME TO SIT IN WITH THE BAND DURING PERFORMANCES. THAT WAS COOL!!

NO SOONER HAVE I TOLD KEITH THE ADDRESS OF THIS BLOG, AND I AM GETTING EMAILS FROM EVERYWHERE. KEITH'S SON, SCOTT, WHO PLAYS IN the HEAD, ROB ASKEW, ANOTHER BASS PLAYER WHO ALSO PLAYED IN FLAKE AFTER ME, HAS SENT A PIC OF HIS HOME STUDIO.ROB HAS A GROUP CALLED"NEXT BEST THING" CHECK OUT THEIR SITE AT www.nextbestthing.com.au HIS DAUGHTER, MELANIE, IS THE SINGER, AND HAS A GREAT VOICE. YOU CAN PLAY SOME MP3'S THERE.

MY BEAUTIFUL DAUGHER, KATHRYN, WITH HER PARTNER, SCOTT, AND THEIR FRIEND GORDON. THEY ALSO ALL WORK AT OUR WORKPLACE. THEY GIVE ME COPIES OF DRUM MEDIA. IT'S LIKE "GO SET". THINGS DON'T CHANGE THAT MUCH, JUST THE HAIR STYLES. SCOTT IS LEARNING GUITAR. I WISH KATHRYN WOULD SING. I'M SURE SHE HAS A GOOD VOICE, AND SECRETLY HARBOURS DREAMS TO BE AMANDA PALMER OF THE DRESDEN DOLLS, BUT NOT WITH THE HAIRY ARMPITS, OR HAIRY AXILLAS AS THEY WOULD SAY IN OUR TRADE. GORDON IS A TALENTED JUGGLER/FIRE-EATER AND SEEKS WORK IN A PUNK CIRCUS. IT SHOULD BE A USEFUL EXCUSE IF HE EVER IS ON THE DOLE.

THESE ARE PICS OF DOROTHY BARRY. DOT WAS IN THE BARRY SISTERS. SHE APPEARED ON BANDSTAND WITH PETER ALLEN, JO'K AND ALL THE ROCK N ROLLERS OF THE 50-60'S. DOT WORKS AT THE SAME COMPANY AS MARGARET & I. SHE IS CLOSE TO MARG, AND STILL DOES REGULAR CLUB APPEARANCES. SHE IS A LEGEND!! A POSTSCRIPT TO THIS, SHE WAS TELLING MARG TODAY THAT SHE ALSO SANG WITH HARRY SEECOMBE & HOWARD KEEL!

AFTER WW2, MUSIC WAS INTRODUCED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, VIA FLUTE BANDS. THIS IS MY SCHOOL BAND IN 1961, AND A PAPER CLIPPING OF MY YOUNGER SISTER, (MIDDLE). WE WERE TAUGHT BY VICTOR McMAHON, WHO WORKED FOR THE DEPT OF EDUCATION. HE WAS ALSO A TEACHER AT THE SYDNEY CONSERVATORIUM OF MUSIC, WHERE I LATER STUDIED. HE TAUGHT NOTED JAZZ MUSICIANS DON BURROWS, PAUL FURNISS AND SYDNEY S.O. PRINCIPAL FLUTE, PAUL CURTIS, WHO ALL WERE TAUGHT AT SCHOOL. IT'S A PITY THERE ISN'T A FORMAL TRAINING GROUND LIKE THAT THESE DAYS, EVEN THOUGH IT MIGHT HAVE TO BE HIP HOP OR DEATH METAL. IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, AS LONG AS KIDS CAN LEARN MUSIC OF SOME SORT. THE REALLY DAGGY PIC OF MY SISTER WITH ME AND MY FLUTE IS A CRINGING FAVOURITE. THE FLUTE WAS BOUGHT FOR ME BY MY PARENTS. I STILL OWN & PLAY THIS SAME INSTRUMENT,44 YEARS LATER. MY FATHER USED TO ENJOY BLOWING A HARMONICA AND OCCASIONALLY TORMENTING THE DOG WIYH A TROMBONE. I THINK HE IS GLAD I STARTED PLAYING AGAIN. I WISH HE WOULD ENCOURAGE MY SISTER TO RESUME BALLET LESSONS!

IT IS OFTEN SAID WHAT A GREAT PERIOD IN HISTORY THE 60'S WAS. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS THAT GREAT, BUT BEING A TEENAGER THEN, IT WAS FUN. I LIVED IN A DEAD END STREET IN A SUBURB CALLED EARLWOOD, A SYDNEY MIDDLE CLASS SUBURB NOTORIOUS FOR PRODUCING OUR CURRENT PRIME MINISTER, A LOWLY MAGGOT.THE STREET WAS FULL OF KIDS OF SIMILAR AGES, I WAS THE YOUNGEST OF THE OLDER GROUP AND BILL TRANCHATELLA WAS THE ELDEST. WHEN BILL WAS GOING TO UNIVERSITY STUDYING ART, HE PLAYED IN A JUG BAND AND WAS INVOLVED IN AN ART MOVEMENT CALLED "SAVART". THEY CREATED "HAPPENINGS" BILL ALSO PLAYED FLUTE. WE NEARLY ALL PLAYED FLUTE. MORE ABOUT THAT AT ANOTHER TIME. HE LISTENED TO EVERYTHING AND HAD A GREAT RECORD COLLECTION. SO I WAS LISTENING TO ZAPPA, PAUL BUTTERFIELD, AND ALL THE OTHER WEST COAST UNDERGROUND HIPPY STUFF. ON DAY HE SAID COME AND LISTEN TO THIS! IT WAS 1966, HE PLAYED "I TALK TO THE SPIRITS" MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO ROLAND KIRK. MY MUSICAL TASTES WERE CHANGED FOR EVER. I WENT TO CANTERBURY BOYS HIGH SCHOOL. FORMERLY A SELECTIVE SCHOOL, WHICH PRODUCED THE MAGGOT AND VARIOUS JUDGES & HIGH PROFILE TYPES. WHEN I WENT THERE IT WAS STILL SEMI SELECTIVE, BUT ALLOWED ME IN ANYWAY. I WAS IN THE ORCHESTRA. IT WAS A DURGE SIMILAR TO THE "STOCKPORT SYMPHONIA". JOHN RUSSELL, THE FLAKE GUITARIST WAS THERE, SO WAS WARREN WARD, BASSIST WITH FLYING CIRCUS & LATER, FLAKE. DOUG FAULKNER, ANOTHER BASS PLAYER STILL AROUND TOWN WAS ALSO IN MY CLASS.GRAHAM BOND OF AUNTY JACK FAME WAS ALSO, BUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AHEAD OF ME. MY FAVOURITE OLD SCHOOLMATE OF NOTORIETY WAS JOHN BRYSON. HE HAD VERY LONG HAIR, AND AS A RESULT, WAS MADE TO SIT OUTSIDE THE BOSS'S OFFICE EVERY LUCHTIME. HE HIT THE HEADLINES IN THE 90'S WHEN , AS A BARRISTER, WAS MENTIONED IN PARLIAMENT FOR SEDUCING UNDERAGE INTERNS IN HIS CHARGE. JOHN SAID IN THE NEWSPAPERS, THAT IT WAS A CONSPIRACY BY THE "MICK MAFIA". THE GIRLS WERE FROM A PROMINENT CATHOLIC SCHOOL, THE COMPLAINT AIRED IN PARIAMENT BY A CATHOLIC, PAUL WHELAN MINISTER FOR POLICE. I THINK JOHN STILL LIVES WITH THE LADY ON THE GOLD COAST. AT LEAST IT WAS INTERESTING TABLOID READING!

WHILST PERFORMING TO SHOPPING TROLLIES AT ROSELANDS, ANOTHER DRUMMER, WAYNE THOMAS, ASKED ME TO JOIN HIS BAND CALLED "FLAKE".THEY WERE GETTING REGULAR WORK AT DANCES AND DISCOS & THE LIKE. WE WORKED A LOT .AT ONE STAGE, WE WERE PLAYING 6 NIGHTS + SAT AFTERNOONS. WE ONCE PLAYED ON "THE REX MOSSOP CLUB SHOW". THIS WAS A UNIQUE SATURDAY NIGHT VARIETY T.V. SHOW,WHICH INCLUDED LIVE CROSSES TO THE GREYHOUND RACING. WE HAD 3 MINUTES TO PERFORM "WHEELS ON FIRE". IT DIDN'T FIT. WE DIDN'T DELETE A CHORUS OR SOMETHING, WE JUST PLAYED IT FASTER, AND FASTER, UNTIL IT DID FIT! WE THEN MIMED IT ON AIR. WE HAD RECORDED OUR FIRST 45, AND "WHEELS" WENT TO THE TOP OF THE LOCAL CHARTS. ON THE FLIP SIDE, WE RECORDED "YOU GOT ME THINKING". MY SHORTCOMINGS AS A SAX PLAYER WERE EXPOSED! I WAS REPLACED BY ANOTHER GUITAR. I JOINED" GALADRIAL" AS A FLAUTIST. THEY WERE AN UNDERGROUND BAND PERFORMING THEIR OWN MATERIAL. THEY HAD ALREADY RELEASED AN ACCLAIMED ALBUM, AND WERE CONTRACTED TO "FESTIVAL RECORDS". WE BROKE UP BEFORE GETTING BACK INTO THE STUDIO. THE WRITERS, GARY ADAMS & SPIDER HAD BLUE ABOUT SOMETHING. I THEN WENT ON TO TORMENT GUS McNEIL IN"WHITEWINE" WHO WAS TRYING TO PROMOTE FRANK LEWIS AS A SINGER/SONGWRITER. IT WAS A FORLORN TASK. I MUCKED AROUND WITH GARAGE BANDS TRYING TO GET SOME JAZZ INFLUENCES HAPPENING. I WASTED MY AND OTHERS TIME. I THEN SHARED A FLAT WITH A CRAZY BEBOP SINGER, CALLED JOE LANE. WE JAMMED ALL NIGHT WITH JAZZ LEGENDS LIKE BERNIE McGANN . MY SHORTCOMINGS AS A JAZZ MUSICIAN BECAME OBVIOUS TO ME. I WAS 21, BUT I EXPECTED MYSELF TO PLAY LIKE ROLAND KIRK. I THINK I MAY HAVE BEEN A TAD HARD ON MYSELF. I ALL BUT GAVE UP PLAYING, FELL IN LOVE & GOT MARRIED. MARGARET, MY LONG SUFFERING WIFE, THINKS THE MARRIAGE DISTRACTED ME. I KNEW IT WAS SOMETHING ELSE.

THESE DAYS, STEPHEN GARD IS AN ACCOMPLISHED COMPOSER, AUTHOR, MULTI-MEDIA ARTIST. BACK IN THE 60-70S, YOU KNEW HE WAS GOING TO BE. WE USED TO WORK IN A STUDIO IN HIS BACK YARD. EVEN THEN HE HAD A RUDIMENTARY RECORDING SETUP, AND TO MY SURPRISE, FOUND HE HAD NOT ONLY KEPT THE RECORDINGS, BUT HAS THEM WITH THE NATIONAL SOUND & FILM ARCHIVE. WE USED TO RECORD SOUND TRACKS AND THEME MUSIC THAT HE COMPOSED, FOR THE NEW THEATRE, IN SYDNEY. IT WAS HERE, HE MET A YOUNG CHRIS NOONAN, THESE DAYS A HOLLYWOOD DIRECTOR OF FILMS, SUCH AS "BABE". ON OF CHRIS'S FIRST FILMS WAS CALLED "GARBO" AND STEVE WAS ASKED TO WRITE AND RECORD THE THEME MUSIC. THANK GOODNESS THE BUDGET STRETCHED TO USING A PRO STUDIO! WE RECORDED IT AT ATA STUDIOS IN GLEBE. THE STUDIO WAS OWNED BY THE JACOBSON BROS.(COL JOY, KEVIN JACOBSON) KEVIN ENGINEERED THE RECORDING, I PLAYED FLUTE, STEVE, PIANO,GUITAR & BASS, LES & LARRY BRYANT, DRUMS AND CLARINET, STEVE KNEW THEM FROM SCHOOL, AND USED THEM BECAUSE THEY COULD READ MUSIC, AND ON OBOE & TUBA, IVA (IVOR) DAVIES, A CON STUDENT STEVE HAD MET SOMEWHERE. IVA WENT ON TO BECOME FRONT MAN FOR FLOWERS & ICEHOUSE, LEGENDS OF THE 70-80'S. THIS WAS HIS FIRST RECORDING AND OBVIOUSLY WE INSPIRED HIM TO GREAT THINGS. HE NOW, ALSO DABBLES IN FILM SCORES. I THINK HIS LAST ONE WAS SOMETHING CALLED "MASTER & COMMANDER"WHICH HAD SOME EX KIWI CALLED RUSSELL CROWE ACTING IN IT. HE INCIDENTALLY, WENT ON TO OWN SOME LOUSY FOOTBALL TEAM THAT CAN'T WIN A GAME. SO, IN A ROUND ABOUT WAY, STEVE IS PROBABLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THIS.

KEITH HERBERT IS A DRUMMER. YOU WOULD KNOW THAT, EVEN WITHOUT THE DRUMS. WE WERE IN A GROUP CALLED SYN BACK IN THE SIXTIES. WE ONCE PLAYED AT THE OLD SYDNEY STADIUM TO A FULL HOUSE . WE USUALLY PLAYED AT SCHOOL DANCES,TO FULL STUDENTS. WE ALSO PLAYED AT ROSELANDS SHOPPING MALL TO FULL SHOPPING TROLLIES. KEITH WAS BEING TUTORED BY JACKIE DUGAN, DON BURROWS DRUMMER. KEITH HAD A SLINGERLAND KIT, THEY ADVERTISED IN DOWNBEAT. I THOUGHT THAT WAS SOOOO COOL! WE ALSO PLAYED IN A GROUP CALLED FRED KARNISS ARMY. PLAYING IN A CHICAGO STYLE BLUES BAND ON FLUTE WAS PROBABLY A FIRST. BRUCE BONGERS, THE SINGER/HARP PLAYER ( A REALLY GREAT HARP PLAYER) STILL PLAYS AROUND SYDNEY. HE HAD A BAND IN THE 70'S ,JUNIOR AND THE GOLDTOPS, ORIGINALLY CALLED THE GOLDTOPS, WITH KEITH THE ORIGINAL DRUMMER. HERE IS A PIC OF BRUCE WITH SOME FAMOUS BLUES GUY, AND MUDDY WATERS. BRUCE IS THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE. FRED KARNISS ARMY, IS A SUBJECT WORTHY OF MORE DETAILED EXPOSURE IN FUTURE POSTS. MYSELF, ROSS JEFFREE AND DENISE CAINES ALL PLAYED WITH FKA AND ALSO PLAYED WITH FLAKE.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

I HAVE BEEN ASKED WHY THE NAME BURNING MOUNTAIN? ON NEW YEARS DAY THIS YEAR THE MOUNTAIN ADJACENT TO WHERE I LIVE, AND MUCH OF THE SURROUNDING BUSH WAS ON FIRE AND DEVISTATED THE AREA. ALSO, WE HAVE SOME LAND IN MURRURUNDI IN THE HUNTER VALLEY, WHERE I INTEND TO BUILD A STUDIO. BURNING MOUNTAIN IS A REAL PLACE NEARBY.

Friday, May 26, 2006

MY OLD FRIEND, STEVE GARD & I, ALONG WITH DRUMMER KEITH HERBERT, & OTHERS, HAD A GARAGE BAND CALLED SYN, BACK IN THE LATE 60'S. STEVE HAS A NICE LITTLE STUDIO, WHERE HE MENTORS AND RECORDS YOUNG SINGERS AND MUSICIANS, AND WHERE WE PLAN TO COLLABORATE ON ANOTHER RECORDING PROJECT THIS YEAR. HE HAS A NICE SELECTION OF MICROPHONES, INCLUDING NEUMANN & RODE, AND RECORDS WITH PRO TOOLS & G4. EVEN THOUGH WE ARE A LONG WAY FROM EACH OTHER, IT IS MY INTENTION TO ALSO RECORD AT MY HOME SETUP, AND EXCHANGE MUSIC FILES ON THE NET. STEVE'S SITE CAN BE FOUND AT www.stephengard.com.au

This is the Yamaha WX5 wind midi controller. This is an amazing instrument. It allows wind musicians like myself, to drive synthesizers. Keyboard players have been having all the fun for too long!It has a mouthpiece like a sax/clarinet, but the "reed" bends the note, rather than produce it. So depending on the sound module you choose to use, you can produce extremely realistic sounds. The VL70 module, is designed to be specifically used with the WX5. I am also usine the MU80, which is a lovely Yamaha Synth from the mid 90's. It allows me to make many hundreds more sounds; it's fun to play a hammond organ and leslie speaker with a "spaceage clarinet! Apart from the special cable to connect the VL70, there is a standard midi out. Power is through the cable from the VL70, although a seperate plug pack 12v dc can be used.There are some interesting accessories available from patchman music.com.

THIS IS HOW IT LOOKED WHEN I STARTED IN OCTOBER 2005. RODE NT1A CONDENSER MICROPHONE, BEHRINGER UB1832 MIXER WIN98 COMPUTER, EDIROL UA20 INTERFACE, AUDACITY. I WAS SOON TO LEARN WHAT A PIECE OF CRAP THE UA20 IS, AND FROM WHAT I AM HEARING, MANY WINDOWS DRIVER SOFTWARE PRODUCTS.

THE BEHRINGER VIRTUALIZER & COMPOSER DELIVER PLENTY OF BANG FOR THE BUCKS WHEN IT COMES TO EFFECTS AND SOUND MODELLING.Hi,and welcome to this HOME STUDIO SITE.The intention is to show how this modest home studio has grown, and over time, how it will change. I will also post music we create.I AM NOW AT THE STAGE WHERE I CAN MAKE SOME CONSTRUCTIVE SOUNDS. I AM USING A YAMAHA VL70 & MU80 SYNTH MODULES, DRIVEN BY YAMAHA WX5 WIND MIDI CONTROLLER, AND a MIDI KEYBOARD. NATURALLY THESE SYNTHS HAVE SOME INBUILT EFFECTS, BUT SO DOES THE BEHRINGERUB1832 MIXER. IT HAS 99 INBUILT. IN ADDITION, I HAVE A BEHRINGER 2024 VIRTUALIZER AND A 2600 COMPOSER. WHICH GIVES ME A VAST NUMBER OF EFFECTS AND OPTIONS. I AM RECORDING IDEAS TO A TASCAM DAT WHILE I DECIDE WHICH WAY TO GO IN TERMS OF COMPUTER RECORDING.. I GUESS I WILL PROBABLY GO THE PRO TOOLS PATH' BUT I WOULD LIKE TO TRY BEHRINGERS NEW COMPUTER INTERFACES FIRST.